Google has enabled users to block ad content that is irrelevant to make its network more user- friendly for searchers and conversion-friendly for brands. In light of the update, marketers must be especially focused on targeting content effectively.

On Friday, Google rolled out a new feature that will help users ignore ad content they find irrelevant or otherwise problematic. The company announced on its Inside AdWords blog that it will place an “X” in the top right corner of video ads and others that appear in its display network. The move might remind marketers that Google – and their online audience – places a premium on relevance, and targeted content efforts that are key to building search visibility (SEO or paid) with relevant audiences.

When a user “mutes” an ad by clicking the X, they will no longer see ad content from this campaign across any of Google’s services. So should a user mute an ad on YouTube, they won’t see paid search content that is included in the same campaign from the company either. While Google has been clear in its goal of focusing on the user, this move essentially demands that marketers do as well. Creating ad content that is useless to consumers will result in them seeing different content in these spaces.

A key of any web marketing campaign is targeting and ensuring that the right prospects will see the right content. If these users aren’t interested in campaigns then companies must create more effective content to pique interest and drive traffic and conversions.

According to Michael Aiello, product manager for Google, the feature is designed to increase the control users have over their experience with all Google products and services. Additionally, the data will help Google deliver ads that perform better for marketers while simultaneously pushing them toward developing and maintaining comprehensive profiles of their target audience.

This is not the first time Google has rolled out a tool that allows users to block certain content. In the past, Brafton highlighted a tool that allows users who bounce from a site found in organic search results to block content from that page in the future. For both organic marketing content and paid ads, marketers must be sure that they are actively engaging their audiences and delivering articles, images or other types of content that are appealing and relevant.

Moreover, Google’s marketing capability is growing consistently to encourage companies to improve targeting for all content. Brafton recently highlighted a new video ad platform that allows organizations to share video content marketing on YouTube and pay on a model similar to AdWords. This is a timely update from Google as Americans viewed more than 10 billion video ads in May, and the figure is expected to grow frequently as more consumers and B2B buyers consume web video content to inform purchase decisions.

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.